Nagpur: The Opposition walked out of the Maharashtra Legislative Council on the issue of five per cent reservation for the Muslim community on Thursday.
The issue was raised by Congress member of Legislative Council Husnbanu Khalife during the question hour and in reply, the minority welfare minister for state Dilip Kamble said that the government is committed to clearing it. However, Opposition leader Dhananjay Munde alleged that the government is against the state’s minorities.
When Ms Khalife raised the point of how the erstwhile government of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had declared it along with the Maratha reservation, Mr Kamble said, “That was for the political mileage. We will give this reservation.”
When Mr Munde asked when the government would come up with a bill for Muslim reservation, Maharashtra education minister Vinod Tawde intervened and said,
“The BJP has been supportive on the issue of reservation. Backward communities in all religions must get reservation. The government has taken this stand. Still, the Opposition leaders are misguiding the state.”
Mr Munde strongly objected to the reply, stating that the government is not firm on the matter. “This government is anti-minorities. You (the government) are intentionally avoiding the decision, which has even been cleared by the court,” said Mr Munde.
After this outburst, Opposition members walked out from the House in protest of the government’s reply.
